Teenage rookie Ashley Barty stepped up to help veteran Samantha Stosur guide Australia over Switzerland to secure their place in the Fed Cup World Group.

After two days of frustrating rain delays, Australia wrapped up the World Group playoff in one day on Monday, as Stosur scored two victories and Barty triumphed on her Fed Cup singles debut to secure the 3-1 win.

The impressive win on clay in Chiasso ensures Alicia Molik’s team will compete in the top eight for the second straight year in 2014.

And judging by the performances of Stosur and the promising Barty, their prospects look bright.

With the tie locked at 1-1, Molik made the bold decision to name Barty for the reverse singles in place of Jarmila Gajdosova, who had lost her opening clash against top-ranked Swiss Romina Oprandi.

But Barty showed composure beyond her years in a classy 6-3 6-4 defeat of Swiss No.2 Stefanie Voegele, ranked 141 places higher at 56.

Stosur led Australia superbly, securing two straight-sets wins in the space of three-and-a-half hours as the rain-soaked tie was crammed into a day and matches were played simultaneously.

She wrapped up the tie with a 7-5 6-3 win over Oprandi after earlier crushing Voegele 6-0 6-4.

Importantly there were no signs of the lingering calf problem that has troubled her in recent weeks.

In unusual scenes, both opening singles contests started at the same time on separate courts as organisers desperately tried to complete the tie in one day.

Both allocated competition days were abandoned due to persistent rain in the southern Swiss city, a first in the competition’s history.

The matches were played on humble side courts but there was nothing low-key about Stosur’s first-set performance.

She punished Voegele with a powerful display, needing only 20 minutes to secure the set.

The Swiss world No.56 made her work harder in the second set, but Stosur fought from 3-0 down to secure a straight-sets win.

After being forced out of her past two tournaments due to injury, Stosur’s right calf was heavily strapped but she said it held up well in a good sign leading into the clay court season.

“It felt fine, it’s a good sign,” she said.

“Maybe all the rain gave me a couple more days (to recover) which is nice.”